Joost has received a lot of buzz lately. However, Joost is limited to content formally licensed with providers. Dmitry Shapiro has devised Veoh, an application that spans the entire Web and acts like a DVR for the computer, according to CNNMoney/Business 2.0 on Wednesday.
Veoh, introduced as beta in late 2005, could be considered a TiVo for the Internet and has a DVR-like interface. It runs on Macs and PCs. The user can search, subscribe, and save some of the content to watch later. (PCs with an IR port or card can even use a standard TV remote control.)
Of course, the biggest competitor is Joost, but Joost has content that is dictated by licensing agreements. Veoh can access the entire Internet. If a video has encapsulated commercials, those come along as well.
Mr. Shapiro said that Veoh makes money by including commercials between the shows.
There are some risks associated with Veoh as content providers have sought to exert more disciplined control and thereby more profit from their video content on the Internet. Even so, the verdict is still out on new technologies that open doors. “It behooves traditional media companies to put as much content out there as they can,” said Saul Berman, IBM’s chief media and entertainment strategist, “and to have as many different people selling it as they can.”